Reenforced boat



June 30, 1936. 3. E.'ROBINSON REENFORCED BOAT Filed Aug. 15, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. Glen Efiobmson ATTORNEY Jam 30, 1936. G. E. ROBINSON 2,

REENFORCED BOAT Filed Aug. 15, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Glen .Cfiobinson ATTORNEY E 5 IN VEN TOR.

Patented June 30, 1936 UNETED STATES PATENT OFFICE Application August 13,

trated as embodied in a boat which is reenforced.

for unusually hard usage, as for a life-boat or for coast guard use and the like.

An object of the invention is to reenforce the boat in such a manner that shocks and impacts against any part of the boat will be transmitted and distributed substantially throughout the boat, without any considerable increase in the weight.

In one desirable embodiment a light but strong framework, preferably of tubular members welded or otherwise secured together, is provided (ordinarily below the flooring of the boat) and is secured to the keel and side members and to the i3 transverse ribs of the boat, to distribute the shocks as described.

I prefer to provide also on this framework an engine support, or supports for a pair of engines, of novel form and arrangement, so that the inern tia forces from the engine (for example when the boat lands with a substantial impact in the surf) are also distributed substantially throughout the boat.

Various features of novelty relate to the manner of securing the framework to the keel member, to the side members, and to the ribs; to the manner of forming and arranging these parts so reenforced to receive the planking of the boat; to the manner of securing the forward ends of the longitudinal tubular members of the framework so that they reenforce the bow; and to other novel combinations of parts and specific arrangements and constructions which will be apparent from the following description of the illustrative embodiment shown in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of my novel reenforced boat, with the decks and upper parts and the flooring omitted to show the reenforcing framework;

Figure 2 is a longitudinal central section through the boat;

Figure 3 is a partial transverse section therethrough on the line 3-3 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a partial section through the framework only, on the line 44 of Figure 1;

Figure 5 is a partial longitudinal section on the line 55 of Figure 1, showing how the framework is attached to the keel member of the boat;

Figure 6 is a partial section on the line 66 of Figure 1, showing in elevation one of a set of brackets forming the engine support;

Figure '7 is an enlargement of a part of Figure 3, showing in elevation one of the plates connecting the framework to the ribs of the boat; and

1934, Serial No. 739,565

Figures 8 and 9 are respectively plan and sectional views of the bow portion of a boat having a modified construction, and corresponding to the bow portions of Figures 1 and 2 respectively.

The novel reenforced boat shown in Figures 1 to 7 includes a wooden keel member ID, shown as built up in any usual manner of separate parts l2, l4, and !5 at the bow of the boat. The keel member in extends in the usual manner longitudinally along the center line of the boat, and is formed along its lower side edges with rabbets receiving the bottom planking 18 of the boat.

The boat also has longitudinalside frame members or chines 20, rabbeted on the sides facing the keel member H) to receive the bottom planking l8, and formed with upwardly-facing rabbets receiving the side planking 22. There are also transverse ribs 24 arranged in the usual manner connecting the keel member frame members 20, and extending upwardly to carry the side planking 22. While only two such ribs 24 are shown in Figure 1, it will be understood that as many ribs as are desired are to be provided, according to the usual practice. The planking l8 and 22 is nailed or otherwise secured to the ribs 24.

The present invention has to do with reenforcing a boat of this general type, whether or not it is constructed exactly as just described, and especially to providing a light but strong reenforcement arranged to distribute shocks and impacts substantially throughout the boat.

The illustrated reenforcement comprises a framework of tubular members, preferably welded permanently and rigidly together, and underlying and supporting the flooring (not shown) of the boat. This framework is shown as including a relatively strong and large longitudinal tubular member 26 overlying and paralleling the keel This makes a total of nine longitudinally-extending tubular members opposite the engines, in the particular arrangement illustrated, but the members need not all extend the full length of the boat; for example the members 34 may stop short forwardly of the engines, with their for- ID and the side axis'inclined in the usual manner as indicated I rib.

at 3d in Figure 2, are supported in a novel manner by the tubular framework, preferably on, rubber blocks or the'like carried by series of brackets :36 welded or otherwise secured to the vertical struts 35. Thus, in case of shock, the inertia forces from the engines are distributed by the described novel supporting framework, substantially throughout the boat. a

The manner of securing the keel member W, the side frame members 26, and the ribs 24, to

the novel tubular framework is best shown in Figures 3, 5, and '7. r I

The longitudinally-extending tubular members are tied together at intervals by means such as upper transverse horizontal tubular members 56 and 52 (which carry the flooring of the boat),

and by lower inclined transverse members 54 and 58 paralleling the adjacent rib 24, together with braces or struts 53 and ti? shown as connecting members 26 and 28, and 28 and 34, respectively; These parts are all preferably welded permanently together.

V The keel member it may be secured, as by bolts 62, toflanges formed on a pair of sheet steel stampings 64 which embrace between them and are bolted or otherwise secured to the correspond ing rib 24, and which are formed with openings through which pass the members 26'and 3 3, and which embrace members 53 between their upper edges, These stampings E i are preferably welded permanently to members 2% and 3% and, if desired,

to members 58. V l

Members 38 and 34 each have mounted,'and

preferably welded, thereon pairs of plates or sheet steel stampings 6% shown on an enlarged scale in'Figure '7. The plates of each pair ema brace the adjacent rib 26 between them, and are formed at their lower ends with openings for bolts or other fastenings' securing them to the Members 32 may have welded thereto tubular struts 68 each carrying a pair 'of'shee-t steel stampings l0 embracing between them and bolted or otherwise secured to the rib 24, and formed with flanges similarly secured to the corresponding side frame member 20.

For convenience, I have only shown twosets 7 of the above-described transverse members, just fore and aft of the engines. For a small boat this will be suificient. For larger boats additional sets will be used, preferably arranged as described above.

. The forward ends of the members 30 are shown (Figure 4) as slotted vertically entirely there- ,7 through, and members 28 slotted on their lower sides, to receivesheet steel tie members 12 and M arranged with their plane surfaces paralleling the boat axis, and welded attheir bottom edges to the member 25; the tie members are also prefyerably welde'd to the members 33 and 28; A horizo'ntal sheet steel tie memberlfi is shown passing through horizontal .slots in members 28 and into members 32 through slots formed on their inner sides, and is preferably welded to the members 28 and 32.

The tie members 12, 14, and 16 are shown weldedor otherwise secured at their forward edges to a transverse vertical sheet steel stamping 18,

In the modification of Figures '8 and 9, certain ones of'the longitudinal tubular members (shown as members 526, I28, and I32) extend forwardly and are carried upward side by side at the bow of the boat, braced against the member [6.

While one illustrative arrangement has been 7 described in detail, it is not my intention to limit the scope of the invention to that particular arrangement, or otherwise than by the terms of the appended claims.

I claim: 1. A reenforoed boat having a longitudinallyextending keel member of wood, transverse ribs of wood, a framework built up of tubular members extending both longitudinally 'and transversely of the boat and rigidly secured together toform a'trussed self-sustaining structure, and

means for securing said structure to said keel member and to said ribs'at opposite sidesof the boat in such a manner that impacts against any part of the boat are transmitted by saidstructure to the entire boat. r I

2. Areenforced boat having a longitudinallyextending keel member of wood, transverse ribs of wood, a framework builtup of tubular members extending both longitudinally and transversely of the boat and rigidly'secured together to form a trussed self-sustaining structure, means for securing said structure to said keel member and'to said ribs at opposite sides of the boat in such a manner that impacts against any part of the boat are transmitted by said structure to the entire boat, and supports for an engine on said structure, whereby in case of shocks and impacts the inertia forces of said engine are distributed by said structure throughout the boat.

3. A reenforced boat having a longitudinally extending keel member, a tubular longitudinallyextending reenforcing member overlying and se-' cured at intervals to said keel member, transverse ribs, other longitudinally-extending tubular members arranged on both sides of the boat and securedito said ribs, transversely-extending tubular parts connecting and bracing said longitudinallyeextending tubular members, said members and parts forming a connected shock-trans- 'mitting framework which is structurally indesaid members and parts forming a connected shock-transmitting framework which is structurally independent of the keel member and ribs.

-5. A reenforced boat having a longitudinallyextending keel member having rabbets formed along its lower side edges, a longitudinally-extending tubular reenforcing member overlying and secured to said keel member, transverse ribs, side longitudinal frame members formed with rabbets facing the rabbets of the keel member and with upwardly-facing rabbets, a reenforcing framework of tubular metal parts secured to said longitudinally-extending member and to said side frame members and to at least some of said ribs, a bottom planking secured to the bottoms of said ribs and seated in the rabbets of the keel member and the corresponding rabbets of the side members, and side planking secured to said ribs and seated in the upwardly-facing rabbets of the side frame members, whereby shocks against the bottom of the boat are distributed substantially throughout the boat by said framework.

6. A reenforced boat having a longitudinallyextending keel member having rabbets formed along its lower side edges, a longitudinally-extending tubular reenforcing member overlying and secured to said keel member, transverse ribs, side longitudinal frame members formed with rabbets facing the rabbets of the keel member, a reenforcing framework of tubular metal parts secured to said longitudinally-extending member and to said side frame members and to at least some of said ribs, and a bottom planking secured to the bottoms of said ribs and seated in the rabbets of the keel member and the corresponding rabbets of the side members, whereby shocks against the bottom of the boat are distributed substantially throughout the boat by said framework.

7. A reenforced boat having a longitudinallyextending keel member having rabbets formed along its lower side edges, a longitudinally-extending tubular reenforcing member overlying and secured to said keel member, transverse ribs, side longitudinal frame members formed with substantially throughout the boat by said framework, together with a support for an engine on said framework, whereby inertia forces from said engine are also distributed substantially throughout the boat by said framework.

8. A reenforced boat having a reenforcing framework including longitudinally-extending tubular members which converge toward the bow of the boat, tie members secured to said tubular members and tying them together adjacent the bow of the boat and which are arranged with plane portions paralleling the boat axis and seated in slots in said tubular members, and a member perpendicular to the boat axis and secured to the front edges of said tie members and forming part of a transverse structural part of the boat.

9. A reenforced boat comprising a keel member and two side frame members at opposite sides of the boat and having a rib connecting the keel member and the side frame members and which extends upwardly from the side frame members to form parts of the sides of the boat, a reenforcing framework connecting said side frame members and keel member independently of the rib, and means for securing said framework to the keel member and the side frame members including pairs of plates secured to the framework and to said side frame members and embracing and secured to said rib.

GLEN E. ROBINSON. 

